SQ656 · SQ655Kyushu9 days

FUKUOKA

Fri 6 Nov – Sat 14 Nov 2026

Base
6-25 Reisenmachi, Hakata
Gion Stn 4 min walk
Party 1
John, Hui Rong, Soon Moey
Xander, 3.5 · 6–14 Nov
Party 2
Talia, Sam
Timothy, 1.5 · 7–13 Nov
Car
11–13 Nov only
Toyota W2, Hakata Stn Front
Flights
SQ656 · 6 Nov 01:20 → 08:10
SQ655 · 14 Nov 09:30 → 15:00
Day 1 · Friday 6 November

Land, drop bags, stay close

No car · all walking

Breakfast — three options

Back at the flat 09:15, first stop 10:00. Party 1 only, and it's a Friday so Pronto is open.

1
Pronto Reisenmachi

Ground floor of your own block. Chain cafe, cheap, breakfast served to 11:00

07:00 · 1 min · weekdays onlyMap
2
Sansui Mizude Coffee

Bread with a half-boiled egg for +¥100, Dutch coffee with a thick head. Outdoor seats

08:00 daily · 8 min · cash onlyMap
3
Fuk Coffee Gion

Aviation-themed, known for the pudding. Empty at opening, queues later

08:00 daily · 4 min · one drink eachMap

  1. Arrive FUK International Terminal

    MapSite

    Immigration and bags, allow 35 min. SQ656 left Changi T2 at 01:20 the same morning, Boeing 787-10.

    Ref FLHVZZSeats 59A/B/C

  2. Airport → Airbnb

    Host puts the taxi at 20 minutes, around ¥3,000. That's a sedan — with four of you plus three adults' luggage, ask for a jumbo at the rank. If you ever do it by subway, Gion Exit 6 has the lift, Exit 2 is stairs.

    Jumbo taxi · 20 min~¥3,000+

  3. Tochoji Temple

    Map

    Five minutes away. Giant wooden Buddha, five-storey pagoda. Free, quiet, open to 16:45.

    Walk · 5 min

  4. Kushida Shrine

    Map
    Walk · 5 min

  5. Canal City — lunch and hold

    Map

    Indoor, air-conditioned, baby facilities. This is the holding pattern until check-in.

  6. Check in, nap

  7. Dinner in Gion

    Walk · 3 min

Dinner — three options

Party 1 only, off a red-eye. Walk, don't travel.

1
Soba Murata 信州そば むらた

Host's list. On your own street, 2-9-1 Reisenmachi. Buckwheat noodles, child friendly, walk in

¥2,000~ · 11:30–21:00 · 2 min · closed MonMap
2
Tokunagaya 徳永家

Motsunabe, the other Hakata hotpot. Marked on the host's own walking map, effectively next door

Dinner · 1 minMap
3
Hakata Tatsumi Sushi 総本店

Host's list. Main branch, ¥2,000~, child friendly, open through the afternoon so no rush

11:00–22:00 · 7 min · closed MonMap
After darkKushida Shrine is four minutes away and lit at night — ten quiet minutes, free, and about all anyone will manage. Everything else can wait.
Note. The outbound leaves Changi at 01:20 on the 6th, so the trip really starts around 22:30 on Thursday 5 Nov. Keep this day light.
Day 2 · Saturday 7 November

Kitakyushu by rail

No car · Party 1 onlyXander's day

Breakfast — three options

Out the door 08:30 for the 09:00 Mojiko train. Saturday, so Pronto is shut. Eat near the flat or grab something at the station.

1
Caffe Veloce Kawabata

Cheap morning sets, sandwiches and toast. Right by the Nakasukawabata gates

07:00 daily · 6 minMap
2
Hakata Ramen Hakataya

¥290 tonkotsu. Ramen at breakfast is a normal Fukuoka habit

Open 24 hours · 5 min · cash onlyMap
3
il FORNO del MIGNON

Mini croissants sold by weight, about ¥60 each. Buy a bag for the train

07:00 daily · Hakata Stn 1F · cash onlyMap

  1. Gion → Hakata

    Walk · 4 minSubway · 2 min · ¥210

  2. Hakata → Mojiko

    Map

    Direct on the JR Kagoshima Main Line, no transfer. Cheaper than the Sonic outbound; save the Sonic for the tired ride home.

    JR rapid · ~55 min

  3. Kyushu Railway History Museum

    Map

    Five minutes from the station. Miniature Train Park has five mini trains on full-scale track, ¥300 per vehicle, up to three per car.

    Walk · 5 min

  4. Lunch, Mojiko Retro

    Map

    Yaki curry is the local thing.

  5. Shiokaze retro train to Mekari and back

    Map

    Departs Kyushu Railway Museum Station, right beside Mojiko.

    Heritage rail · 10 + 10 min¥500

  6. Mojiko waterfront

    Map

    Blue Wing Moji, the 1891 station building, Kaikyo Plaza.

    Walk · 10 min circuit

  7. Mojiko → Kokura

    JR · 13 min · ¥280

  8. Kokura Castle & Katsuyama Park

    Map
    Walk · 15 min

  9. Dinner, Riverwalk Kitakyushu

    Map

    Next to the castle.

    Walk · 5 min

  10. Kokura → Hakata

    Reserve seats. Runs every 20–40 min, Hakata platform 2 or 3.

    Sonic ltd exp · ~40 min

  11. Party 2 arrives

    Talia, Sam and Timothy. Seven from tomorrow.

  12. Supper — Ichiran Original HQ

    Map

    Open 24 hours, eight minutes away, and the only thing serving at this hour. Party 2 land hungry off a flight; Party 1 last ate in Kokura at 17:15. Booth seating, order by form, no conversation required.

    Walk · 8 minNakasu 5-3-2

Dinner — three options

You're in Kitakyushu until about 18:45, so eat there. All three are at or near Riverwalk.

1
Saizeriya, Riverwalk 4F

Cheap Italian family restaurant with a drink bar. Unglamorous and exactly right for a tired 3-year-old at the end of a twelve-hour day

10:30–23:00 · in RiverwalkMap
2
Pepper Lunch, Riverwalk food court

Sizzling beef pepper rice, kids' set available. Food-court seating, no waiting for a table

11:00–20:00 · in RiverwalkMap
3
All Day Dining RITOAS

Buffet at the Rihga Royal, near Kokura Station. Saturday runs to 21:00. Around ¥5,200 a head

Sat 11:30–21:00 · Kokura StnMap
After darkKokura Castle is floodlit and you pass it between Riverwalk and the station. If you have twenty spare minutes in Mojiko earlier, the Retro Observation Gallery on the 31st floor is ¥300 for a 270° view of the strait. Then the late one: Ichiran HQ at about 23:00, once Party 2 are in and dropped their bags.
This is a long day on day two. Out from 08:30, home around 20:00, the day after a red-eye. Most of it is sitting on trains rather than walking, which suits Xander, but if he or Soon Moey is flagging by mid-afternoon, cut Kokura Castle and take an earlier Sonic home. The museum and the Shiokaze are the parts worth protecting.
Day 3 · Sunday 8 November

Hakata on foot

No car · zero transport spend

Breakfast — three options

Nothing until 10:30 — the one morning you can take your time. Sunday.

1
Oyako-don Umanaka

4.8 from 766 reviews, the best-rated thing near the flat. Chicken and egg over rice

Sun from 09:00 · 7 minMap
2
FIKA COFFEE

Coffee and sandwiches, 4.5 stars, order by QR code. Behind the mall

08:00 daily · 8 minMap
3
Shokudo Owan 食堂おわん

Host's pick, ① on their breakfast map. Traditional Japanese breakfast, from ¥1,000

07:30–22:00 · 4 minMap

  1. Anpanman Children's Museum

    Map

    Hakata Riverain. Book online ahead, Sunday will be heaving.

    Walk · 7 min

  2. Ichiran · CLASHES WITH SAT SUPPER

    Map
    Walk · 3 min

  3. Kushida Shrine

    Walk · 7 min

  4. Back to the Airbnb, rest

    Walk · 4 min

  5. Canal City — dinner, Gundam Base, gashapon

    Map
    Walk · 7 min

Dinner — three options

First full evening as seven. Sunday, so several of the host's sushi places are shut.

1
Yakiniku no Bakuro 博多店

Host's list. Sumiyoshi, three minutes behind Canal City. Best to reserve

¥4,000~ dinner · 17:00–22:00 · 3 minMap
2
Kaisendon Hinode 海鮮丼 日の出

Host's list. Seafood rice bowls from ¥1,000, child friendly, no booking. In Hakata Deitos

11:00–22:30 · Hakata Stn B1Map
3
Hyotan no Sushi-Go-Round

Host's list. Conveyor-belt sushi in Solaria Stage basement. Child friendly, first come first served — the easiest possible sushi with two small children

¥1,000~ · 11:00–21:00 · Tenjin B2Map
After darkThe Canal City fountain show at Sun Plaza Stage — free, to 22:00, with music, lights and projection mapping. Seven minutes from the flat and the best evening thing here for a 3-year-old. You're already at Canal City for dinner, so take whichever slot suits; 19:00 or 19:30 gets everyone home before Timothy folds. Check the board for exact times — reviewers disagree on whether it runs every half hour or on the hour.
Day 4 · Monday 9 November

Hakata Station, then the birthday

No carHui Rong & Talia's birthday

Breakfast — three options

Heading to Hakata Station anyway. Leave 45 minutes early and eat there. Keep it light, the birthday dinner is a long one.

1
Tanya

Beef tongue breakfast set with refillable barley rice. Queue moves fast

07:00 daily · Hakata Stn B1Map
2
Ueshima Coffee

Thick-toast breakfast set, milk coffee in a copper cup. Century-old chain

07:00 daily · Hakata Stn 1F Amu EstMap
3
Hyakusai Shun

Japanese set — grilled mackerel, egg, rice, miso. ¥580 if you order before 09:30

07:00 daily · Hakata Stn B1Map

  1. Airbnb → Hakata Station

    Walk · 4 minSubway · 2 min · ¥210

  2. Nintendo FUKUOKA

    Map

    AMU Plaza.

  3. Pokémon Center

    Map

    Hakata Marui, 8F.

    Walk · 5 min

  4. Lunch — Hakata Menkaido or the Kuten floors

  5. Buy the cake

    Map

    Hakata Hankyu or Amu Plaza depachika, both in the station. One cake, both names. Candles are free if you say the number. Flowers here too.

    Fridge space at the Airbnb?

  6. Back, cake in the fridge, nap

    Subway · 2 minWalk · 4 min

  7. Birthday dinner — Mizutaki Hamadaya Honten

    MapSite

    Private room, seven people. Shared pot across two hours, ends with ojiya. Nothing spicy or raw, and Xander will eat the ojiya. Ask for a dessert plate with both names, a high chair for Timothy, and seat him at the far end from the pot — mizutaki is cooked at the table. Fallback: Yakiniku Miyako in Gionmachi, 5 min walk, every room private, though that has a grill at the table too.

    Walk · 10 min+81 92 292 8412~¥38,000
    Host pick · Yakitori HachibeiHost pick · Kappou YoshidaChisoya EN

  8. Canal City fountain show — the 20:00

    Map

    Both dinner candidates sit at Sumiyoshi 1-1-9, three minutes from the Sun Plaza Stage. Free, no booking. Music, lights and projection mapping is a better full stop to a birthday than walking straight home. Drop to the 19:30 slot if Timothy is going.

    Walk · 3 min

  9. Cake and candles at the Airbnb

    Better than a restaurant cake. Kids in pyjamas, no time pressure.

  10. Optional — Nakasu yatai

    Map

    Riverbank stalls, six minutes away. For whoever is still standing.

Dinner — three options

The birthday. Book whichever you pick — all three want a reservation.

1
Mizutaki Hamadaya 本店

The Hakata celebration dish. Private room, shared pot, ends with ojiya. Ask for a high chair and seat Timothy away from the pot

~¥6,000/head · 17:00–22:00 · 10 minMap
2
Yakitori Hachibei (Bekkan)

Host's list, child friendly, booking required. Grilled in the kitchen — no heat on your table, which with a 1.5-year-old is the safest of the three

¥4,000~ · 17:00–23:00 · behind Canal CityMap
3
Kappou Yoshida 割烹よし田

Host's list, child friendly. Famous for tai-chazuke, sea bream over rice with tea. Dinner needs booking

¥7,000~ dinner · Tenyamachi · 8 minMap
After darkDinner ends about 19:45 three minutes from the Sun Plaza Stage, so the 20:00 fountain show lands without engineering it. Cake back at the flat after. If two adults are still standing, the Nakasu yatai are six minutes away and run 18:00 to about midnight — cramped, queued and pricey, so leave the children out of it.
Why Monday. Kyushu National Museum is shut on Mondays, so Dazaifu cannot sit here.
Day 5 · Tuesday 10 November

Dazaifu

No car · Nishitetsu, not JR

Breakfast — three options

Out 08:45 and changing at Tenjin, so eat in Tenjin rather than doubling back.

1
Kobeya Breads

Silk cream buns and chocolate cornets. In Fukuoka Parco, where you change trains

07:30 daily · Tenjin B1Map
2
Heart Bread antique

Mentaiko baguette, shio pan. Bread buffet upstairs around ¥1,400

08:00 daily · TenjinMap
3
Then;

Host's pick, ⑤ on their breakfast map. Cafe, from ¥1,000. Opens 08:30 so only if you're running late

08:30–17:00 · 3 minMap

  1. Airbnb → Nakasukawabata

    Walk · 6 min

  2. Nakasukawabata → Tenjin

    Subway · 2 min · ¥210

  3. Walk to Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin) Station

    Map

    Inside Mitsukoshi.

    Walk · 5 min

  4. Nishitetsu Fukuoka → Dazaifu

    Catch a no-transfer service. Weekday through trains leave at 09:15, 09:46, 10:16 and 10:49. Everything else changes at Futsukaichi.

    Nishitetsu express · ~30 min · ¥400

  5. Dazaifu Tenmangu via Omotesando

    MapSite

    Main hall under renovation, there is a temporary hall. Umegae mochi on the way in.

    Walk · 10 min

  6. Kyushu National Museum

    Map

    Tue–Sun 09:30–17:00. Free hands-on cultural area for kids on the ground floor.

    Walk · covered escalator tunnel

  7. Back to Hakata

    Nishitetsu · 30 minSubway · ¥210Walk · 6 min

Dinner — three options

Back from Dazaifu around 17:00, so an early sitting is easy.

1
Sushi Tatsumi 寿司たつみ

Host's list. Kamigofukumachi, ¥2,000–3,000, child friendly. Best to reserve

17:00–21:00 · 10 min · closed SunMap
2
Nishijin Hatsuki, Hakata Stn

Host's list. Sukiyaki and shabu-shabu on Amu Plaza 10F, child friendly. Same tabletop-pot caution

¥4,000~ dinner · 17:00–22:00 · Hakata StnMap
3
Yoshizuka Unagiya 吉塚鰻屋

Host's list. Grilled eel over rice in Nakasu, ¥2,000~, child friendly, no booking. Closes 20:00 so go straight there

11:00–20:00 · 8 min · closed WedMap
After darkThe Kawabata arcade is covered, five minutes away and open into the evening. Reisen Park is closer still if the kids just need to run.
Skip the passes. The Tourist City Pass Dazaifu version is ¥2,800 against roughly ¥1,220 of actual fares. Tap contactless instead — the subway daily cap is ¥640.
Day 6 · Wednesday 11 November

Marine World

Car day 1 · collect 08:30

Breakfast — three options

Walking to the rental branch at 08:15. Eat by the car, not by the flat.

1
FUGLEN FUKUOKA

Norwegian light roast, 4.4 stars, high ceilings. Five minutes from the rental branch

07:00 · HakataekihigashiMap
2
Sanmi East Hakata Station

4.5 from 2,935 — the tomato ramen pioneer. Ticket machine is Japanese only, ask for help

Open 24 hours · HakataekihigashiMap
3
comecome BURGER

Rice burgers with soup and a drink. Earliest opener anywhere near you

06:30 daily · Hakata Ekimae 3Map

  1. Collect the car — Toyota Rent-a-car Hakata Station Front

    MapSite

    1-12-8 Hakataekihigashi. Open 08:00–20:00. Two child seats, ETC card. Bring IDP, licence, passport.

    Walk · 15 min

  2. Drive to Marine World

    About 14 km. By train this is an hour with a change at Kashii, so the car buys roughly 40 min each way.

    Drive · ~30 minParking ¥510/day

  3. Marine World Uminonakamichi

    Map

    Dolphin and sea lion show, aquarium. Closes 17:30 in November, not 21:00. Last admission 16:30. Adults ¥2,300 — free for under-5s, so Xander and Timothy both go free. Parking ¥600.

  4. Uminonakamichi Seaside Park

    Map

    Adjacent. ¥410–450 adult, kids free to ¥80. Free wheelchair and stroller hire, park train day pass ¥500.

    Walk · 5 min

  5. Drive back, coin parking near the Airbnb

    Drive · ~30 minOvernight ~¥500–900

Dinner — three options

Back around 17:40 with the car parked up. Wednesday — Yoshizuka Unagiya and Doi are shut.

1
Japan Beef Center

Host's list. All-you-can-eat yakiniku at Gofukumachi, ¥4,000~. Reserve. Good value for five adults

17:00–22:00 · 10 minMap
2
Sushi kakujuan 寿し鶴寿庵

Host's list. The splurge option, ¥10,000–15,000, child friendly, Kamigofukumachi

17:30–22:00 · 10 min · closed SunMap
3
Wappa Teishokudo わっぱ定食堂

Host's list. Japanese set meals from ¥1,000, child friendly, walk in. Rice, fish, soup — no assembly required

11:30–21:30 · Kego, AkasakaMap
After darkYou have the car. Fukuoka Airport's observation deck on the domestic terminal 5F is free, open to 22:00, and it's aircraft taking off in the dark — for the child who wanted the railway museum, this is the same trick twice. Twenty minutes' drive.
Day 7 · Thursday 12 November

Itoshima coast

Car day 2 · return 08:30 Friday

Breakfast — three options

Driving off at 09:00 and lunch is an 11:30 seafood set. Grab and go.

1
BOUL'ANGE

4.5 stars. Mentaiko baguette with shiso and pine nuts, anko butter bun

07:30 daily · Hakata Ekimae 2Map
2
Dacomecca

Breakfast platter ¥550. A queue forms before it opens, so it moves early

07:00 daily · Hakata Ekimae 4Map
3
Ganso Hakata Mentaiju

From the host's restaurant list. Mentaiko on rice, opens 07:00, flagged child friendly. No booking needed

07:00–22:00 · NishinakasuMap

  1. Drive to Palm Tree Swing / Zauo beach

    MapSite

    About 23 km. Swings open 10:00.

    Drive · ~40 min

  2. Beach, swings, zipline, playground

    The toddler stop. Parking ¥300 per 40 min across the road, so budget about ¥900. Don't eat at Zauo — 3.8 stars and complaints about freshness.

  3. Lunch — Itoshima Seafood Restaurant Futamigaura

    MapSite

    Book a private room ahead; the queue builds even midweek. 270-degree sea view, 200 m from the torii, parking free based on spend. Park once here — everything below is walkable.

    Drive · ~10 min+81 70 4005 7508

  4. Sakurai Futamigaura — white torii and Meoto Iwa

    MapSite

    Afternoon tide covers the base of the gate, which is the classic shot. Parking ¥300, free under 10 min, toilets on site.

    Walk · 3 min

  5. Sakurai Shrine

    MapSite

    Optional. Free, wooded, plenty of parking, near-empty midweek. Cut it if the timing slips.

    Drive · 8 min

  6. SURF SIDE CAFE Palm Beach Gardens

    MapSite

    Open Thu to 21:00. Dine in for two hours of free parking tokens. Very clean restrooms. Burgers, fries, açaí. Kids rest here.

    Drive · 10 min

  7. Ito Sai-sai farmers' market

    MapSite

    Host's pick. One of Kyushu's largest farmers' markets — Itoshima black beef, Genkai pork, produce. On the Fukuoka side of Itoshima, so it's on the way home. Open to 18:00.

    Drive · 15 min

  8. Back down to the beach for golden hour

    Sunset around 17:20 — verify closer to the date. One of Japan's 100 best sunset spots. Timothy at 1.5 is the one who'll go first, so leave early if he's done; you've still had the day.

    Walk · 5 min

  9. Drive back to Fukuoka

    Keep the car overnight. Returning tonight saves nothing: ten hours at the ¥2,420 hourly rate exceeds the ¥16,940 day rate.

    Drive · ~45 min

Dinner — three options

Back around 18:20 after a full day driving. Pick something that doesn't need booking or effort.

1
Hakata Fishman

Host's list. Izakaya in Imaizumi, ¥3,500 dinner, open to 00:30, no booking. Forgiving if you get back late

17:30–00:30 · YakuinMap
2
Kikuya 喜久家

Host's list. Teppanyaki in Nakasu, child friendly, best to reserve. The chef cooks in front of you

¥15,000~ dinner · 17:30–23:00 · 8 minMap
3
Gansonagahamaya 元祖長浜屋

Host's list. The original Nagahama ramen counter, ¥1,000~, open till 01:45. Fast, cheap, no decisions

06:00–25:45 · NagahamaMap
After darkNothing ambitious after a full day driving. The Nakasu riverside walk between Canal City and Tenjin is pretty and flat, and Don Quijote in Nakasu is open round the clock for anything forgotten.
Cut from this day. Keya no Oto (boat gets cancelled in November wind, 30 min further west, and a small open boat is wrong for a 1-year-old) and Shiraito Falls (inland detour, uphill walk, and its draws are summer-only). Also note Beach Cafe SUNSET is closed Thursdays.
Day 8 · Friday 13 November

Ohori Park and last shopping

Car returned 08:30

Breakfast — three options

Car back at 08:30, then Ohori Park. Eat at the park rather than rushing before.

1
Starbucks Ohori Park

Lakeside terrace, 4.4 from 2,539. Calm first thing, packed later

07:00 daily · at the parkMap
2
&LOCALS Ohori Park

Yame gyokuro tea and a well-liked miso soup, window seats over the park. 90-min limit

09:00 · closed Mondays · at the parkMap
3
Park South Sandwich

Steak and gyukatsu sandwiches, 4.5 stars. Set comes with soup and fries

08:00 daily · DaimyoMap

  1. Return the car

    Walk · 15 min

  2. Gion → Ohorikoen

    Subway · ~9 min · ¥260

  3. Ohori Park

    Map

    Big open space, boat rental, playground, art museum if you want it.

  4. Maizuru Park & Fukuoka Castle ruins

    Map
    Walk · 5 min

  5. Tenjin — last shopping, Don Quijote

    Map
    Subway · 5 min · ¥210

  6. Back to the Airbnb, pack

    Sam and Tal depart today.

    Subway · ¥210Walk · 6 min

Dinner — three options

Party 2 leaves today, so this is four of you. Last proper dinner.

1
Doi すし土井

Host's list. Tenyamachi, ¥15,000 dinner, child friendly, booking required. A proper last-night sushi counter

17:30–22:00 · 8 min · closed WedMap
2
Ochuu 魚忠

Host's list. Set meals and fish from ¥1,180, child friendly, no booking. Cheap and easy while you're packing

11:30–21:30 · ImaizumiMap
3
Takeya Wasabi 雄屋 わさび

Host's list. Tenjin izakaya, ¥4,000~, child friendly, booking required

17:30–23:30 · TenjinMap
After darkLast night, and only four of you. Fukuoka Tower is lit up and open to 22:00 — ¥800 adults, ¥300 for 4- and 5-year-olds, free below that. Or stay in and pack.
Wet weather swap. Fukuoka Tower and Momochi, or a mall day.
Day 9 · Saturday 14 November

Home

No car

Breakfast — three options

Taxi at 06:45. Almost nothing is open — these three are.

1
ふくおかごと Fukuokagoto

Opens at 05:00. Proper Japanese breakfast sets — grilled salmon, pork miso soup, tamago kake gohan

05:00–12:30 Sat · 8 min · near KushidaMap
2
Yoshinoya Hakata Gion

Host's pick, ③ on their breakfast map. Japanese breakfast set under ¥1,000, open all night, fast

Open 24 hours · 5 minMap
3
Fukuoka Airport

Cafes and shops in the international terminal. The safe fallback if nobody wants to move early

From ~07:00 · after check-inMap

  1. Airbnb → FUK International Terminal

    MapSite

    Party 1 only — four of you, plus every case from the trip and whatever got bought. Pre-book a jumbo with the host the night before. Don't trust a Saturday dawn pickup in Gion.

    Jumbo taxi · ~20 minPre-book

  2. At the terminal

    SQ counters open about three hours out.

  3. SQ655 departs

    Rescheduled from 09:45 by SIA on 2 July. Arrives Changi 15:00, was 15:20. Boeing 787-10.

    Seats 54A/B/CRef DNDTG8

Dinner

You land at Changi at 15:00. Nothing to plan.

Line legend

Walk
Fukuoka subway
JR Kyushu
Nishitetsu
Rental car
Taxi

The car

Toyota W2 class (Voxy / Noah), Hakata Station Front branch, 11 Nov 08:30 → 13 Nov 08:30. Two child seats, ETC card, no Kyushu Expressway Pass.

W2 base, 2 days (22,990 + 16,940)¥39,930
Full package¥3,300
Two child seats¥1,100–3,300
Coin parking, 2 nights (host's rate sheet)¥1,000–1,800
Tolls and fuel¥6,000
All in~¥52,000 · S$415

Cancel the Nippon and Toyota bookings already made — both were Sienta class, capped at one child seat, and you need two. Corrected to a class that fits, eight days came to about ¥159,000. The AA 10% code doesn't change this: Nippon runs roughly 10.5% above Toyota, so the discount only returns them to parity.

Money

ItemJPYSGD
Public transport, all days~43,000~345
Car, 2 days all in~52,000~415
Marine World + Seaside Park, 5 adults~14,300~115
Birthday dinner, 5 adults~38,000~305
Total~147,000~1,180

No JR Kyushu pass — only one JR day. No Tourist City Pass — the Dazaifu version costs more than double the fares it replaces. Tap contactless at subway gates for the ¥640 daily cap.

From the host's pack

Six documents from TEN Apartment Hotel. Where they disagree with my earlier estimates, theirs win — they measured the street.

ItemWhat the pack says
Coin parkingA dozen lots mapped around the building. Overnight caps run ¥400–600 at several; the safe worst case is a lot at ¥1,200 per 24 hours. Much cheaper than the ¥2,000–2,400 I had assumed.
Airport taxi20 minutes, around ¥3,000. Subway alternative: free shuttle to the domestic terminal, Airport Line to Gion, Exit 6 for the lift.
Kushida Shrine stnNanakuma Line alternative — Exit 1, lift to 2F, right along the pedestrian bridge, then down. Useful if the Airport Line is disrupted.
Breakfast mapSeven numbered places plus three off-map. Four are now in the day cards: Shokudo Owan, Yoshinoya Gion, Then;, and confirmation of Pronto, Hakataya and Sansui Mizude.
Marine WorldFree for under-5s. Both children go free; you pay for five adults only.
Fruit pickingStrawberries run late December to May — not available on your dates. November is persimmons, clementines and late pears, and every one of those farms is 1h20–1h30 away by car in Ukiha, Buzen or Miyako. Not worth a day.
Distances "from TEN"Treat with caution. The attractions guide claims Ohori Park is a 15–20 minute walk; from Reisenmachi it is nearer 45. The guide looks written for a different TEN property.

Host's child-friendly dinners

The restaurant sheet flags which places take children and which need booking. These are the ones open on Monday 9 November and marked child friendly.

PlaceTypeDinnerBooking
Yakitori Hachibei (Bekkan)
Behind Canal City		Yakitori — grilled in the kitchen, no heat on your table¥4,000~Required
Kappou Yoshida
Tenyamachi		Kappou, tai-chazuke¥7,000~Required
Nishijin Hatsuki
Hakata Stn 10F		Sukiyaki / shabu-shabu¥4,000~—
Nishiyama
Nakasu		Sukiyaki / shabu-shabu¥5,500~Required
Kikuya
Nakasu		Teppanyaki¥15,000~Best to book
Yoshizuka Unagiya
Nakasu		Grilled eel on rice¥2,000~Not needed

Closed on the 9th and therefore out: Hakata Tatsumi Sushi (Mondays) and Soba Murata on Reisenmachi (Mondays). Hakata Reisen Arima, the yakitori place on your own street, has only ten seats — too tight for seven.

Open items

  • Check Soon Moey's outbound. FLHVZZ covers only John, Hui Rong and Xander. Hers is probably FLQ8CZ — confirm it's the same SQ656 so you all land together for the jumbo taxi.
  • Specify both child seats when booking the car. Forward-facing for Xander at 3.5, rear-facing infant seat for Timothy at 1.5. Japanese firms stock these as separate items.
  • Book the birthday dinner. Hamadaya Honten, +81 92 292 8412. Ask for 個室, 17:30, seven including a 3-year-old and an infant. If it's too early to book, ask when the book opens.
  • Rebook the car. Cancel Nippon and the Toyota W1; book Toyota W2 for 11–13 Nov from the downtown branch.
  • Book the Itoshima lunch private room, +81 70 4005 7508.
  • IDP from AA Singapore. Printed booklet dated 19 September 1949, class boxes stamped. A second driver needs their own.
  • Shiokaze retro train. Runs March–November, weekends and holidays outside certain weeks. 7 Nov is a Saturday so it should run — confirm the 2026 season end date.
  • Airbnb questions for the host. Any parking? Early bag drop on the 6th? Fridge space for the cake on the 9th?
  • Pre-book the departure transport for 06:30 on 14 Nov — a jumbo taxi if the head count is four or more with full luggage.

Last updated 19 Aug 2026